


We're Dating

by darkmus



Category: Free!
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Birthday, Cute, Fake/Pretend Relationship, First Kiss, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, M/M, Making Out, Premature Ejaculation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-18
Updated: 2015-11-18
Packaged: 2018-05-02 05:01:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,431
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5235137
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/darkmus/pseuds/darkmus
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>To stop Nagisa from trying to set them up with random girls, Haru and Makoto start fake dating each other.</p>
            </blockquote>





	We're Dating

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first Free! fic. I'm obsessed with MakoHaru, so you can expect more. Hope you enjoy!  
> This is un-betaed and I am looking for a beta for my future Free! fics. I already have one waiting in the wings. If you're interested, please send me a message or ask at my tumblr (http://darkmus.tumblr.com/)

It was a brisk early-November day when Makoto's life took an unexpected turn. The swim club boys were all having lunch together in Makoto and Haru's classroom.

"Mako-chaaan," Nagisa sang. 

Makoto could tell something was up, just by the tone in his voice. 

"What do you think about Kumiko-chan?" he asked sweetly. 

"Nagisa-kun, not this again!" exclaimed Rei.

Nagisa shushed him with a distracted wave, his eyes locked on Makoto's confused face.

"Uh, who?" 

"Kumiko-chan. She's in class 2."

Makoto frowned. "I don't know much about her..."

"Hmm… then what about Rumi-chan?" Nagisa asked brightly. "Also from 2," he added for clarification, just in case.

Makoto paused, then glanced between Haru and Rei, the first of whom was pointedly ignoring the conversation and the second who had a clearly unbeautiful, exasperated look gracing his features.

"Uh... she's nice?"

Nagisa pouted, unconvinced. "How about Eri-chan? Akiko-chan?"

"Why are you asking?" said Makoto warily. 

"I made a deal with the girls in class 2 and the payment was to find them all boyfriends," Nagisa explained. "So I've been hitting up all my single friends to see if they'll date one."

Haru snorted. "Yeah," he said derisively. "It's annoying."

"Haru-chan is too picky," Nagisa replied with a smile. 

Haru rolled his eyes and Rei let out an audible sigh.

"Nagisa-kun, you really shouldn't have made that deal, anyway."

"What kind of deal was it?" asked Makoto, his interest piqued. 

"That's a secret," Nagisa replied cheekily, wagging a finger. "Anyway, it's not like you're dating anyone, Mako-chan."

"Well, that's not--" Makoto began protesting.

"Actually, he is," said Haru suddenly.

The 'that's not the point' died on his lips, unsaid. 

"Haru?" exclaimed Makoto. He had no idea what his best friend was talking about. He was definitely single. But he wasn't exactly looking… he'd already found someone, for a long time now, and said person was now claiming he was in a relationship. 

Nagisa didn't notice his confusion though. He immediately perked up. "Ehhh?? Who? Who??" he interrogated Haru excitedly. 

"He's dating me."

Makoto and Nagisa's jaws dropped simultaneously and Rei choked on his drink and began coughing.

Haru leaned over and possessively linked his arm around Makoto's. Makoto's jaw snapped shut as he suddenly let in a sharp intake of breath. His heart just about stopped. 

"So you see," continued Haru, "you don't have to bother us anymore."

"Haruka… senpai…? What?" said Rei, flabbergasted.

"Nee, Haru-chan! Why didn't you say anything before??"

Haru shrugged. "It wasn't your business."

The two younger club members didn't seem to notice that Makoto's face was bright red.

Nagisa pouted again and blew a lock of hair out of his face. 

"Fine, it looks like I'm back to square one..." he said dejectedly before turning back to his Iwatobi bread. "Matchmaking is a lot harder than it looks," he muttered between bites, as Rei began chastising him again. 

Meanwhile, Makoto tried in vain to calm down, his appetite lost and lunch forgotten. All he could think about was Haru, their bodies so close to each other, and wondering what he was going to do about this mess. 

~~~

"Haru," Makoto whined when the two others left for their own classroom. "Why did you say that?" he asked, leaving out what 'that' was; it was too embarrassing how the mere thought of it made his stomach flip-flop and fill with butterflies at the same time.

"It was the quickest way to shut him up," his friend replied matter-of-factly. 

"Yeah, but..."

"You don't want to date me?"

Makoto sputtered. That was the complete opposite of what he wanted to do, actually. 

"Fake date, you mean," he countered, after quickly composing himself.

Haru shrugged. 

"Well..." said Makoto, swallowing his nerves. "I guess if it will stop Nagisa from bothering us..."

Haru nodded as he put away his bento box and took out his books.

"We should probably go over how to make this work," Haru said. "Come up with a backstory."

"Uh, okay. Um, you, uh... want to come over after school?"

Haru shook his head. "Come over to my house. So Ran and Ren don't bother us by accident."

"Okay."

"Take your seats, everyone," said the history teacher. Makoto sat up straighter and tried to remove all thoughts about Haru and this crazy scheme from his mind. But of course, like many of the times he'd tried not to think about Haru, he failed. 

~~~

"I still can't believe you two are dating. Why didn't you tell your good friend Nagisa this important info?" the blond boy complained loudly as they made their way home.

Makoto's stomach squirmed but Haru just gave a nonchalant grunt. They were holding hands and his brain had sort of shut down. 

"I mean, how long have you been dating anyhow?"

"Almost a year now," Haru lied. 

"Oh yeah? When's your anniversary?" Nagisa asked them. Rei, while quiet, also looked at them expectantly.

"I forget."

Nagisa pouted. "How could you forget something like that, Haru-chan?" He turned to Makoto. "You must remember, Mako-chan. So when did you get together??"

Makoto stammered. He wasn't great at lying. 

"Ahh, well... it was... around Christmas in our first year," he said vaguely. 

"Hmm... and who confessed first?"

"Makoto."

Makoto let out an annoyed sound and frowned at Haru. It was frustrating how Haru had no problem lying about this whole thing, but on the other hand, if this were true and they were actually dating, would it have been likely that he confessed first?

His stomach began to squirm again. Yeah, probably. 

Nagisa hummed thoughtfully. 

"Yes, I could see that..."

There was a small pause as they approached the train station and climbed the steps.

"Nee, so have you guys done 'it'??" Nagisa said, grinning wolfishly. 

"Nagisa-kun!" cried Rei, completely scandalized.

Makoto turned red again. It seemed like constant blushing would now be a permanent feature to his face.

"That's none of your business," Haru deadpanned. 

Nagisa laughed. "Okay, okay," he said good-naturedly, obviously not caring if he got an answer or not. "But I want more details; what was your first date?"

~~~

Makoto came over to Haru's, as promised, after dropping some stuff at his own house and mentally and physically preparing himself for what was to come. 

They studied a bit in Haru's room, but it was clear that Haru was too distracted.

"Nagisa asks too many questions," Haru groused, closing his books before going over to his bed and slumping down into it. He let out a sigh and leaned against the wall.

Makoto chucked. "Yes, he's very excitable like that." He set his books aside as well, sensing that study time was over. He guessed that they would be discussing their supposed backstory now and how to throw Nagisa off their scent. He grabbed a pen and notebook to take notes, flipped to one of the last few pages, and joined Haru on the bed, sitting across from him.

"So what do people supposed to do when they're dating?" asked Haru.

Makoto looked down at the notebook, resting it on his crossed legs, and fiddled with the pen.

"Well, they hold hands and kiss and stuff…"

Haru raised an eyebrow. "'And stuff'?"

Makoto turned pink.

"Like… make out..."

"And sex?"

Makoto turned pinker still and gave a half-nod.

"Well, we probably don't have to go that far to get Nagisa off our back."

"Right…" said Makoto, trying to ignore the inappropriate part of him that was disappointed.

"But we should probably practice kissing though," continued Haru.

"Oh!" said Makoto, nearly dropping the pen in surprise. "Kiss… Are… are you sure?"

"Nagisa is probably expecting us to have been doing that for ages already."

"Ah, good point," Makoto mumbled nervously. "Have you ever, uh… kissed anyone?"

Haru shook his head.

"You?"

Makoto shook his head 'no' as well. That irritatingly familiar blush would not go away.

Haru leaned forward, toward him. 

"Do you want to try?" he asked, his penetrating blue eyes catching Makoto's gaze easily.

"N-now?" Makoto stuttered.

"Well, we don't have to if you don't--"

"No, it's okay… I just…" Makoto swallowed, trying to calm his nerves. "Sure… we can," he said in a small voice. He put down the notebook and pen. His hands didn't know what to do, so they just wrung themselves nervously in between his crossed legs.

Haru sat up and scooted closer, and with each advancing inch, Makoto's heart beat faster and faster. As Haru leaned in, Makoto felt his lips parting in anticipation. He leaned in slightly to reach him. 

When they kissed, it was gentle and sweet and more than anything Makoto could have ever hoped for. He'd thought about kissing Haru too many times to count, but now that they were actually doing it… Fantasies couldn't hold a candle to the real thing. 

He tried to remember every little detail -- the warmth of Haru's lips and their shared exhale, the pleasant humming sound Haru made as their mouths played against each other, the way Haru's eyes fluttered shut as the kiss went on -- he tried to remember them so he could keep these things with him forever. Who knew how long this ruse would last?

Soon, their kiss grew. They experimented with the pressure and Haru's hand came up to brush Makoto's cheek and bring him closer. Makoto's hands unclasped and went to either side of him, bracing himself against Haru's oncoming persistence. He tried not to act too eager and in doing so, restrained himself from touching Haru with anything other than his lips. 

They broke for air and Makoto saw Haru's enticing flush and felt his own rising in his cheeks. 

"Wow," he breathed. His brain was mush.

Haru hummed. "That was nice. Again?"

Makoto swallowed. He was already in over his head, what was another few meters? He nodded dumbly. 

Haru leaned in again, stronger this time, and the force made Makoto fall against the bed in the process. Makoto uncrossed his legs, uncomfortable in that new position, and Haru found the space between them, scooted in, to get even closer.

Makoto could feel himself getting hard, but the pressure of Haru on top of him felt too good to care. He clutched the bed sheets desperately, his good judgement dissipating with each fevered gasp. 

Their kisses began to get more insistent and Makoto felt his mouth falling open, inviting Haru's tongue to come in. Haru obliged, but only after swiping the bottom lip with his tongue, making Makoto moan. 

Giving up his internal struggle completely, Makoto's arms came up to circle Haru's waist and pull him even closer. He could feel Haru tense up to the new sensation before quickly relaxing. He was surely dead and in heaven, Makoto thought. He wished this would never stop.

His right hand traced up Haru's back before finding a home in his soft, dark hair. Haru's hands ran themselves up and down his sides, exploring muscles that they'd only seen from a polite distance. 

Pretty soon, it was all too much. The pressure, the moaning… And then, against his best wishes, Makoto climaxed from all the teasingly wonderful sensations. He squawked, embarrassed, against Haru's lips. 

Haru pulled away. 

"You okay?" Haru asked him, breathless. 

"Ah, yeah," Makoto lied, his voice pitched much higher than intended. "Well, no, I, um..." his tongue tied itself in knots and the only explanation he could muster was a guilty glance down to his groin. 

Haru raised an eyebrow before removing himself slightly to see properly. 

"Oh!"

"Sorry, I... it's been a while since I... did myself. So..." he finished lamely. It wasn't entirely true, having done so before leaving his house as a precaution, but he didn't want to say anything incriminating about himself.

"It's okay. Do you... want to clean up?"

"Uh, yeah. That would be nice..."

Haru leaned back to give Makoto the space to get out of bed. Makoto felt his face burning and his pants uncomfortably wet. 

"I'll just... be a minute," he mumbled before hurrying from the room. 

~~~

When Makoto returned to the room in a pair of clean pants he'd left at Haru's once before, Haru was sitting on the bed, staring into space. He turned to face Makoto when he entered. 

"Sorry," Makoto began guiltily. "I guess I got a little bit carried away..."

Haru shook his head.

"Me too. But I went too far; we were only supposed to be practicing."

"Yeah," was all Makoto could bring himself to say. He stood a few paces from the bed, trying to squash that seemingly omniscient squirming feeling in his stomach. Maybe if they had been dating for real he wouldn't feel this guilty and embarrassed at the same time. 

Haru looked away suddenly. 

"It was nice though," he said quietly, a slight blush coloring his cheeks. 

Makoto nodded. More than just 'nice' he thought, remembering the intense heat. 

"So, that's what... boyfriends do," continued Haru. "I guess I'll have to start calling you my boyfriend now."

Makoto blushed and sat next to Haru on the bed, long legs firmly planted on the ground.

"Yeah, same."

"But maybe... we can just do those... things… in public."

"Wait, kissing in public?" exclaimed Makoto, in a panic. If tonight was any indication, that would be a very bad idea. 

Haru shook his head. "Not like that. But kisses on the cheek and stuff."

"Oh, okay." Makoto shifted nervously. "So no kissing in private?" he tried to keep his voice even and indifferent. 

"No, we don't need to, right?"

Makoto's stomach plummeted. 

"Ah, yeah, good," he said instead, trying not to feel disappointed and guilty at the same time. 

"Are you hungry? I can make us some dinner."

"Oh, okay. That sounds good. Do you need help?"

Haru shook his head. "You'll just get in the way."

"Hey, now!" Makoto said indignantly, but half-amused because it was true. 

Haru smirked teasingly and left the room. 

~~~

News of their relationship status raced through the school the next day. Makoto didn't realize Nagisa was such a blabbermouth, but then again he supposed the rest of the school was too, with the rate the gossip spread.

Much like Nagisa, many had their doubts, though just as many were quite convinced. 

"I knew it! I mean they're always together."

"Why are all the cute boys gay?"

"No, they can't be! It's just not fair!"

It wasn't just the girls who were intrigued. Several guys bombarded them with questions. 

"So how does it work? I've never met a gay person before. Who's the 'woman' of the relationship?"

Makoto wanted to crawl into a hole and never come out. It was so embarrassing and disheartening at the same time. If he and Haru were actually dating maybe he would still be offended by the questions but at least he wouldn't have to lie. 

The line he found to be most helpful was one Haru said to Nagisa. 

"It's not really your business," he said. "Besides," he added, "It's kind of rude to ask that..." 

One of the nice things however, was in between breaks Haru would always be close to his side, sometimes leaning on his shoulder when they sat next to each other, and when they walked through the hallways, they held hands. 

If he could just pretend that they weren't just pretend dating, it would have been much more enjoyable. 

~~~

After about week, Nagisa seemed to accept that they were (and had been) 'dating'. They had answered all his questions with the same answers, even when they were apart, and he was more or less satisfied. They kept up the ruse though, since it would have been awkward and suspicious to stop going out so suddenly.

"Nee, so what are you guys doing for Mako-chan's birthday? We should have a party, but you two should also do something special," said Nagisa. "It's Mako-chan's first birthday with the you of two dating!"

"Ah, yeah…" mumbled Makoto. He had all but forgotten his birthday was coming up, being distracted by Haru so much more than usual these days. 

"We can have the party Saturday at lunch and then you two can have... the night," Nagisa said suggestively.

"Nagisa-kun, that is inappropriate!" said Rei.

"Well, that's what I would do."

"We're going to watch a movie," said Haru. Makoto still hadn't quite gotten used to how decisive Haru was with all aspects of their fake dating relationship.

"Oh! What movie? I hear the new Phantom Slasher movie is really good--" began Nagisa.

"No horror movies, please, Haru…" said Makoto plaintively, turning to his fake boyfriend with pleading eyes.

Haru shook his head. "The racing one."

"Ah! I hear that one has very good reviews!" said Rei. "And the cinematography is supposed to be really beautiful--"

~~~

His birthday lunch was really fun. They all met at Haru's house and Nagisa and Rei brought a store-bought chocolate cake while Kou and Rin brought snacks. Haru cooked a nice lunch for them all, going outside his usual repertoire of grilled mackerel to make some green curry. 

They laughed and talked and ate way too much. 

It was the first time Rin heard of them dating but he didn't seem fazed, though he was temporarily confused at first as to why Haru was clinging so close to Makoto whenever he could. 

"Ah, yeah I had a feeling about them--" Makoto heard Rin murmur to his sister when she explained the situation to him. 

It was a bit disconcerting how easily accepting Rin was about their relationship. Was the idea of Makoto and Haru inevitably dating so obvious to him? To everyone? 

Rin didn't make a big fuss about it, so while Makoto still felt the ever present bit of guilt of lying, he was thankful that he didn't have to start the large explanation Nagisa had required once again. 

The cake Nagisa and Rei brought was delicious, but the frosting was overly sweet. However Nagisa and Makoto were the only ones who didn't notice; Nagisa, because it was hardly any sweeter than his Iwatobi bread and Makoto, because he was far too distracted with the fact that Haru was feeding it to him with every other bite to avoid finishing his own piece by himself.

He received some really nice gifts, but Haru said he would wait to give his later. Nagisa made an inappropriate lewd comment, which caused Rin and Kou to laugh, Rei to squawk, and Makoto to blush from head to toe. Haru only smiled, which only furthered their suspicions. 

"Picture! Picture!" Nagisa called, pulling out his cell phone and selfie stick. They gathered on the floor and took several versions because Rei was complaining about the composition of the photo.

"Yes, and now one of the happy couple!"

Nagisa and Kou good-naturedly shoved the two of them closer together until Haru was practically on Makoto's lap. Obviously Haru thought it wasn't enough of a show, and he wrapped his arms around Makoto's neck as Nagisa began snapping shots furiously.

"Ah, cute!!"

"Kiss, kiss!"

Makoto turned bright red as Haru leaned in and pressed their foreheads together.

"Happy birthday, Makoto," Haru said with a smile before gently kissing him on the lips. Another kiss on the lips from Haru when he wasn't expecting any more was honestly the best birthday present that he could have hoped for.

As everyone began leaving around 4:00 PM, Makoto began to get more nervous. Tonight would technically be their first 'date'... well, first fake date. Hanging out at Haru's these days didn't really count as they didn't actually do anything different than normal after that first time.

This 'date' however would mean being out in public, posing as boyfriends, and with the very real chance that Haru would show some PDA to make it look convincing.

He helped Haru clean up to calm his nerves.

"The movie will start in about an hour," said Makoto, in a much more sure voice than he actually felt. "Do you want to get going? We still need to buy tickets."

Haru nodded, putting his wallet in his pocket, and leading the way. After he locked the door, Haru's hand immediately found Makoto's. 

~~~

The train ride was much faster than expected. Or maybe it was because all Makoto could think about was how sweaty his palm was in their linked hands.

Haru was so good at pretending this was all normal. Meanwhile, all he could do was try not to embarrass himself too much.

~~~

"I'll pay," said Haru, pulling out some cash to give the ticketer.

"No, it's okay--"

"It's your birthday," Haru said pointedly. "And it's a boyfriend's duty."

Makoto blushed, but acquiesced.

They decided against snacks, having eaten so much earlier, and made their way into the theater room.

They found a pair of good seats, near the middle. The theater quickly filled with potential witnesses, several that he recognized from school, which made his stomach squirm yet again. 

Haru lifted the armrest between them before sitting down. 

The movie started and Haru's hand found his, his head resting on Makoto's shoulder, before snuggling up against him. 

Makoto didn't remember anything from the movie. 

~~~

They returned to Haru's house after the movie so he could give Makoto his present. Makoto knew it wouldn't be the thing Nagisa mentioned or another kiss but still wondered what it was all the same. 

"Your present is just in here," Haru explained as they entered the living room.

"Haru! But you've done so much today," Makoto protested.

Haru shook his head. "It's nothing. This is the present I was going to give you before we started dating anyway."

"Okay…"

Haru took out a small, nicely-wrapped present, from a drawer and handed it to Makoto with two hands. 

"It didn't really seem like a good enough present to give from boyfriend to boyfriend so I didn't give it to you earlier."

Makoto thought that if they were actually dating, any present would have been perfect. 

"Can I open it now?"

"Do what you want. It's your birthday."

If he was able to do what he wanted he'd be dating Haru for real right now, he thought ruefully. Instead, he smiled and unwrapped it carefully. 

Inside the small box was a dolphin keychain. Though much smaller and made of metal, it looked very much like the toy they'd both wanted as kids. 

"Haru," he sighed with a watery smile. "Thank you. It's great!"

"It's really not a big deal."

"Well, I like it anyway."

Haru blushed a bit and rolled his eyes. 

"Happy birthday."

"I'm going to put it on right now… where are my keys…?"

As he shifted around, trying to find them, the present fell onto the floor with a soft thunk. 

"Oops!"

Both boys bent down to pick it up, but bumped their heads together on the way down. 

"Ouch! Oh! Haru, you okay?" Makoto asked anxiously, steadying Haru with hands on his shoulders.

"Yes, I'm fine. You worry too much," groused Haru, looking up at him through his bangs.

"Sorry; I always worry about you…" Makoto replied with a gentle smile.

"Yeah, you do…" Haru said softly.

All of a sudden, Makoto was all too aware of just how close their faces were. If they were dating for real, this would have probably been the perfect moment to kiss. But since they weren't actually dating, Makoto squashed the urge. After all, they'd agreed that they'd only do that in public.

He pulled away with great reluctance. He picked up the keychain and stood up. 

"Thank you for the present, Haru."

"No problem."

~~~

There were so many more moments like that that made Makoto's heart ache, when he wanted to kiss Haru so badly and hold him when they were alone together. He wanted so badly for this all to be real. Acting all lovey-dovey in public and then acting like nothing at all was happening in private just highlighted how unreal their relationship was.

And after another week of this charade, it all finally was too much; Makoto snapped. 

They were walking home from school when it happened. They were holding hands again, but Haru seemed to be brushing up against his shoulder more than normal. Well, compared to how he normally acted in this fake relationship.

Makoto stopped shock still, jolting Haru from his pace by their still-linked hands. 

"Makoto?"

Makoto tore his hand away from Haru's, as if holding it any longer would have burned him otherwise. He ignored the look of shock on Haru's face. 

"I can't do this anymore!" Makoto exclaimed, his frustration pouring out of him. "We can't... We can't fake date anymore!"

"Why not?"

"Because it hurts! It hurts too much! Because..." he began, his stomach squirming. "Because I like you, Haru."

Haru raised an eyebrow. 

"More than a friend," Makoto explained, his voice soft and pained. He ducked his head, trying to control the feeling of oncoming tears. 

Haru's eyes were wide as saucers, but Makoto was looking down at his feet. Haru turned his face away as well. 

"I'm sorry. We have to... we have to 'break up'. Haru, I know you don't…" Makoto said, searching for the right words. "It might just be better if we go back to the way we were before -- just friends."

The silence stretched for far too long and with every passing second Makoto felt his heart breaking into more and more tiny pieces. He wished this had never happened. He wished this didn't hurt so much. He wished he had never fallen in love with Haru in the first place.

He could feel tears welling up and he hated it.

"But," Haru began softly, now looking at Makoto. He let out a shaky sigh. 

When he spoke again, it was a bit louder.

"But I don't want to."

Makoto's face shot up to look at Haru. His stomach had leapt into his chest.

"I don't want to be just friends anymore," Haru continued. He took a step closer to Makoto and brushed his finger on Makoto's cheek. 

Makoto's heart just about stopped, full of hope and longing. 

"You don't?" he asked cautiously.

Haru shook his head. "Can we be boyfriends for real?" he asked, unsure.

"I-I..." stammered Makoto. His face broke into a giant smile. "Yes. Yes, I want that, too."

Haru smiled softly and closed the space between them and kissed him, soft and gentle. Makoto sighed happily and returned the kiss. 

After the kiss ended, Makoto let out a wavering laugh. 

"I can't believe this... I'm so happy, Haru."

Haru smiled back and held him.

"Me too."


End file.
